Device for setting up cartons



Feb. 10, 1953 w. A. RINGLER 2,627,791

DEVICE FOR SETTING-UP CARTONS Filed Oct. 24, 1947 5 sheets -sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

dliwvallu Feb. 10, 1953 w. A. RINGLER 2,627,791

DEVICE F OR SETTING-UP CARTONS Filed Oct. 24, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet a L y & 64

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ATTORNEVS,

Feb. 10, 1953 w. A. RINGLER DEVICE FOR SETTING-UP CARTONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed 001;. 24, 1947 INVENTOR. 564/4 ,4. fiva BY ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 10, 1953 GFFICE DEVICE FOR SETTING UP CARTONS William A. Ringler, Wayne, Pa., assignor to The Gardner Board and Carton 00., a corporation of Ohio Application October 24, 1947, Serial No. 781,921

9 Claims.

In my copending application, Serial No. 757,787 filed June 28, 1947, and entitled Carton for Incandescent Lamps, now abandoned, I have described a carton which will provide the necessary protection for a plurality of incandescent lamps or like articles in shipment, merchandising, and storage. The principal object of this invention is the provision of a device which will set up these cartons from paperboard blanks in a rapid and effective manner.

It is an object of my invention to provide a mechanism which will set up a carton of the class referred to fully in a single, rapid operation, performing all necessary manipulations other than those incident to the packing of articles in the cartons and the closing of the cartons.

Incandescent lamps are regularly made on large machines, at the ends of which are operators charged with removing the lamps after test and packing them in suitable containers.

These operators must employ a series of carefully timed movements in order to keep up with the output of the machines. The carton of my copending application is one which can be very rapidly loaded, by operations fitting in well with the schedules of the machines; and it is an object of this invention to provide a device which will deliver to the operators fully set up cartons from flat blanks without requiring the operators to expend time and effort in the setting up of the cartons.

Since the machines are usually closely spaced on the factory floor, it is in many cases not feasible to deliver to the ends of the several machines cartons which have been set up at some central point. Hence it is an object of this invention to provide a device of small dimensions which will do the setting up of the cartons at the stations of the operators charged with testing and packing. It is likewise an object of the invention to provide a device so simple and inexpensive that it may be multiplied by the number of lamp making machines in a factory without entailing any large capital outlay.

These and other objects of the invention,

which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that cer tain construction and arrangement of parts, of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a simple form of my machine.

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a form of plunger which I may employ.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6 6 in Figure 1, and showing the table and lower operating elements of my mechanism in plan.

Figure 7 is a perspective view with parts cut away showing the lower operating mechanism.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the table and lower operating mechanism.

Figure 9 is a similar view showing an initial stage of the erecting operation.

Figure 10 is a similar view showing the completion of the erecting operation.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the carton blank which I employ.

Figure 12 is a partial perspective view showing the carton in generally erected condition but prior to the engagement of the locks.

Figure 13 is a similar view showing the carton in completely erected condition.

Figure 14. is a perspective view of the carton in open condition ready to receive a plurality of incandescent lamps.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the open carton filled with lamps which are separated and held in place by the partition element.

The drawings in this application are of simplified and semi-diagrammatic form, showing the essentials of the machine. It willbe understood that the machine itself can be elaborated to whatever extent is desired. While I have shown a device designed to be operated by a foot pedal, it will beevident that the machine may be caused to operate under the influence of a suitable prime mover such as an electric motor. Likewise, I have not shown in this application any means for positioning the carton blanks on the operating table of the device. Such positioning may be accomplished by hand if desired, but it is within the spirit of my invention to provide a feed hopper for the blanks. This hopper may be of any of the known styles, equipped for feeding the blanks one by one onto the operating table of the device, either in timed sequence or as required by the operator charged with the testing and packing of the lamps.

In Figure 11 I have illustrated the type of paperboard blank for the setting up of which my device is designed. This paperboard blank may be made by the usual operations of cutting and scoring paperboard or boxboard which may be printed as desired. The blank comprises a bottom panel I, to which end walls 2 and 3 and side walls 4 and 5 are articulated along score lines which, in this figure, are indicated by dotdash lines.

The side wall 5, which in effect is the rear wall of the erected carton, carries in articulation a top panel 6 having a front tuck flap 7 and side tuck flaps 8 and 9. To the side wall 4, Which in effect is the front wall of the carton, I articulate a partition structure which comprises a central portion I and lateral wings I I and I2, the wings being articulated only to the central portion. By suitable cut and score lines, tabs I3 and M are formed at the ends of the lateral wings; and by means of notches and a score line, as shown, 'a tab I is formed at the end of the central member I0 of the partition structure.

The end walls 2 and 3 are provided with tapered flaps I6, I'I, I8 and I9. These flaps carry locking means at their ends comprising a central portion such as is indicated at and extending tabs 2! and 22. walls 4 and 5 are provided with U-shaped cuts demarking tab 23, 24, and 26, which tabs are preferably provided with score lines as shown.

The box is erected by swinging the side and end walls to vertical positionswith respect to the bottom panel I, folding the tapered flaps I6, I7, l9 and I9 over onto the outside surfaces of the side walls 4 and 5, and locking the structure by thrusting the locking elements 20, 2|, 22 through the orifice in the side walls provided by the U- shaped cuts defining the tabs 23, 24, 25 and 26.

The device of this application performs all of these folding and locking operations in a single movement. It does not, however, perform any operations with respect to the top panel 6 and its associated flaps or with respect to the partition structure hereinabove described.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, my device in its simplest form comprises a base framework 21 which supports a platform 28. The platform in turn supports an overhead table 29 on which the carton blanks are positioned.

The location of the carton blanks on the table Y 29 may be controlled by side guides 30 and 3I and end guides 32 and 33, or other suitable means. A pair of leg-like supports 34 and 35, forming part of the main frame, are channeled as most clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, to accept a vertically reciprocating operating frame. The operating frame has vertical members 36 and 37, a top cross bar 38, and a lower cross bar 39. top cross bar carries a plunger, hereinafter described, for setting up the cartons. The lower cross bar 39 may, in this simplified form of the machine, serve as a foot pedal for moving the operating frame. The operating frame is normally urged to its uppermost position by resilient means such sa the springs 40 and M shown in Figure 1. The springs may be engaged at their upper end with the platform 28 and at their lower ends with the lower cross bar 39 of the operating frame.

A plunger 42, which is a rectangular body of substantially the same cross-sectional area as the area of the main panel. I of the carton blank, is afiixed to the top cross bar 38 of the operating frame by any suitable means 43. At each side the plunger is cut away or notched, as at 44, Me, at substantially the positions of the tabs 23, 24, 25 and 26 in the side walls of the carton blank, as will be made clear hereinafter; and a spring The front and back The r element 45 is fastened to the plunger at each side, these spring elements having ends which project into or partially across the notched or cut away portions of the plunger. It will be obvious that the operating frame is employed to move the plunger up and down vertically.

The table 29 is cut away, as at 46 in Figure 3, in an area substantially equivalent to the combined areas of the bottom panel, side and end walls, and locking flaps of the carton blank. A lower platen, 4'1, is vertically reciprocable in a hole in the platform 28, and is urged to its uppermost position by resilient mean such as springs 58 and 49. As best shown in Figure 8,

the platen may be provided with stop means 59 to gauge its uppermost position, this position being one in which the top surface of the platen lies just beneath the bottom panel l of the carton blank when the blank is positioned on the table 29. The upper surface of the platen 41 likewise corresponds in shape and area to the shape and area of the bottom panel I of the carton blank.

From Figure 8 it will be evident that as the plunger 42 is brought downwardly, the main panel I of the carton blank will be engaged between the lower surface of the plunger and the upper surface of the platen 47. As the plunger is moved further in its downward course, it will carry with it the resiliently mounted platen 47 and the bottom panel I of the carton, which thus is moved toward the platform 23. On this platform, as most clearly shown in Figures 6 and '7, I mount stationary means 5i and 52 for folding the end walls 2 and 3 of the carton blank upwardly and inwardly. These means are in the form of blocks, the inner, upper edges of which are somewhat tapered as shown.

Likewise, on the platform 28 I mount fixed folding elements 53 and 54 of similar form but of lesser length for folding upwardly and inwardly the front and rear walls 3 and 5 of the carton blank. The folding blocks BI and 52 are substantially as long as the corresponding edges of the platen 41; and at their ends they bear curved folding wings 55, 56, 51 and 58 which are so shaped and positioned as to fold the tapered flaps IS, IT, IS and I9 of the carton blank over outside the side and end walls thereof. The folding of the walls and tapered flaps occurs progressively as the plunger and platen descend carrying the bottom panel I with them, the folding of the tapered flaps I9, II, I8 and 19 bein initiated sufiicien-tly after the start of the folding of the front and rear side walls 4 and 5 to insure that the flaps are folded over outside these walls. The completion of all folds occurs substantially simultaneously.

As best shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8, I hinge to my platen 41 some L-shaped fingers 59, 69, BI and 62. The rear surfaces of these fingers are curved, as indicated. To the platform 28 I'attach operating or cam members 63, one for each of the fingers 59 to 62. The edges of these cam members are tapered where they approach the platen. The fingers 59 to 62 are normally held in a lowered position, as shown in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, by resilient means, such as springs 64 engaging between the fingers and the platform 28.

The initial stage of the erecting operation is shown in Figure 9, and the final stage in Figure I9. As indicated above, the side and end walls of the blank are folded upwardly to positions at right angles to the bottom panel I of the blank, and the tapered tabs I5, 11, I8 and I9 are folded over outside the front and rear side wall '4 and 5. As the plunger and platen descend further, the cam operating members 63 engage the hinged fingers 59, 60, BI and 62 and cause these to move toward the plunger. The ends of these fingers engage the locking structures 2!], 2!, 22 on the ends 'of the tapered flaps, and thrust these through the front and rear side walls 4 and 5 of the carton. This action is illustrated in Figure 10, where the ends of the fingers are shown extending through the front and rear side walls.

They have carried the locking structures with them and into the cut-away portions 44, 44a of the plunger, the tabs 23, 24, and 26 in the front and rear side walls displacing the end portions of the spring elements 45 on the plunger.

When the plunger is released and withdrawn upwardly, the platen follows it, carrying the nowerected box upwardly. The first action which occurs is the withdrawal of the fingers 59, 60, El and 62 under the influence of the springs 64. Thereupon the ends of the spring elements 45 move the front and rear side wall tabs 23, 24, 25 and 2B positively against the locking elements which have been thrust through these walls, giving the structural relationship most clearly shown in Figure 14.

The platen finally comes to its uppermost position as determined by the abutment means 50, and the continued upward movement of the plunger frees the erected carton. The erected carton will usually remain on the platen 41; but if it tends to move upwardly with the plunger, it can be easily disengaged therefrom by the operator. It is within the spirit of my invention to provide resilient means on the bottom of the plunger 42 which will act positively to dislodge the carton.

In Figure 12 I have illustrated the erected carton prior to the thrusting of the locking elements through the front and rear side walls, indicating also the manner in which the fingers 59 to 62 accomplish the locking engagement. The carton is shown in Figure 13 with the locking elements fully engaged.

My device delivers the boxes in the fully erected condition shown in perspective in Figure 14, the cartons now being ready for loading. Loading is accomplished by placing three lam bulbs in the carton in reversed order and then swinging the partition element down into position, a filled but unclosed carton being illustrated in perspective in Figure 15.

Having thus described my invention in an exemplary embodiment, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for setting up cartons of a type having a main panel, side and end walls articulated to the edges of said main panel and locking flaps articulated to the ends of a pair of opposite ones of said last mentioned walls, a table to receive the carton blank, a lower platen having an upper surface responding to said main panel when the blank is on said table, an overhead plunger with a lower surface similarly responding to said main panel, resilient means permitting downward motion of said platen, means for moving said plunger downwardly, stationary folding elements for folding said side and end walls inwardly and upwardly during the motion of the blank as determined by the downward travel of said plunger and platen, stationary sweeps for folding said locking flaps over outside adjacent walls, and means effective subsequent to the folding of said several parts for thrusting ends of said 6 locking flap through openings in the walls against which said flaps are folded.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 in which said last mentioned means comprise fingers pivoted to said platen so as to have a downward motion therewith, and cam elements having fixed positions and operating on said fingers.

3. The structure claimed in claim 2 in which said lunger is recessed opposite the openings in said walls and is provided with spring fingers extending substantially across said recesses said spring fingers tending to return to initi-al'position tabs formed in the openings in said walls.

4. In a box erecting machine for boxes of a type having a main panel, side and end walls articulated to the edges of the main panel and locking flaps articulated to the ends of an opposite pair of said walls, an upper plunger and a lower platen both vertically movable, said plunger and said platen being positioned to engage said main panel between them, stationary folding members positioned to fold said side and end walls to positions at right angles to said main panel as said plunger and said platen carry said main panel vertically downward, means for folding said locking flaps over a pair of said body walls, means for thrusting ends of said locking flaps through openings in the pair of walls against which said flaps are folded, said means comprising means travelin with the plunger and platen and having one mode of motion transverse to the direction of motion of the plunger and platen.

5. In a box erecting machine for boxes of a type having a main panel, side and end walls articulated to the edges of the main panel and locking flaps articulated to the ends of an-opposite pair of said walls, an upper plunger and a lower platen both vertically movable, said plunger and said platen being positioned to engage said main panel between them, stationary folding members positioned to fold said side and end walls to positions at right angles to said main panel as said plunger and said platen carry said main panel vertically downward, means for folding said locking flaps over a pair of said body walls, means for thrusting ends of said locking flaps through openings in the pair of walls against which said flaps are folded, said means comprising means traveling with the plunger and platen and having one mode of motion transverse to the direction of motion of the plunger and platen, said last mentioned means comprising L-shaped fingers hinged to said platen.

6. In a machine of the character described a base, a table having an opening therein mounted above said base, a lower platen vertically reciprocal through an opening in said base, an overhead plunger mounted above said platen, stationary folding elements mounted on said base, moving elementes mounted on said platen, said moving elements comprising folding fingers pivoted to said platen, stationary cams mounted on said base for operating said foldin fingers, means for urging said platen to an upward position, stop means determining the upward position of said platen, means for bringing said plunger downwardly in a vertical path under power, said plunger being provided with lateral recesses permitting said moving elements to thrust portions of locking flaps of a box through openings in walls thereof.

7. In a machine of the character described a base, a table having an opening therein mounted above said base, a lower platen vertically reciprocal through an opening in said base, an overhead plunger mounted above said platen, sta tionary folding elements mounted on said base, moving elements mounted on said platen, said moving elements comprising folding fingers pivoted to said platen, stationary cams mounted on said base for operating said folding fingers, means for urging said platen to an upward posi tion, stop means determining the upward position of said platen, means for bringing said plunger downwardly in a, vertical path under power, said plunger being provided with lateral recesses permitting said moving elements to thrust portions of locking flaps of a box through openings in walls thereof, said plunger having spring fingers with end extending substantially across said recesses for controlling the folding of tab members formed in the openings of said walls.

8. In a device for setting up cartons of a type having a main panel and side and end walls articulated to the edges of said main panel, a base, a table to receive carton blanks positioned above said base and having an opening therein, a lower platen having an upper surface responding to said main panel when the blank is on said table, an overhead plunger with a lower surface similarly responding to said main panel, said upper plunger and said lower platen both being vertically movable, stationary folding element extending upwardly from said base for contacting and folding the side and end walls of the carton blank inwardly and upwardly during motion of the blank as determined by the downward travel of said plunger and platen, there being a separate folding element for each wall of the carton, said folding elements being positioned to fold the carton walls against the plunger when said plunger is in its lowermost position and spaced from said plunger when in lowermost position by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of v the walls of the carton being set up.

9. In a device for setting up cartons of a type having a main panel, side and end walls articulated to the edges of said main panel and locking flaps articulated to the ends of a pair of opposite ones of said last mentioned walls, a base, a table to receive carton blanks positioned above said base and having an opening therein, a lower platen having an upper surface responding to said main panel when the blank is on said table, an overhead plunger with a lower surface similarly responding to said main panel, said upper plunger and said lower platen both being vertically movable, stationary folding elements extending upwardly from said base for contacting and folding the side and end walls of the carton blank inwardly and upwardly during the motion of the blank as determined by the downward travel of said plunger and platen, there being a separate foldin element for each wall of the carton, said folding elements being spaced from said platen when in lowermost position by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the walls of the carton blank, there being stationary sweeps fixed to opposite ones of said folding elements for folding said locking flaps over outside adjacent walls.

WILLIAM A. RINGLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,000,991 Comings Aug. 22, 1911 1,154,969 Burnham Sept. 28, 1915 1,680,615 Hoba Aug. 14, 1923 2,096,278 Huebsch et al. Oct. 19, 1937 2,416,748 Gnoerk Mar. 4, 1947 

